Just heard on the BBC this morning that police are set to patrol Hampstead Royal Free Hospital because of the criminal behaviour there. This is saddening but it’s becoming all the more common now that, in a society that is soft on crime and soft on the causes of crime, our health staff not only have to suffer the stresses of long hours, hard physical work and mental strain but also aggressive language and violent behaviour.
But what really amazed me was the BBC’s assertion that crime in the Royal Free Hospital accounts for one quarter of all Hampstead’s crime.
Even if that’s more a testament to the relative good behaviour of Hampstead’s residents it is quite shocking that so much of the borough’s criminality is concentrated in one hospital. I still fall into the trap of thinking of hospitals as havens, as places of care and safety. I bet there are plenty of health professionals who can put me straight about that….
